Transhumant pastoralism in Indian western Himalaya: traditional ecological knowledge and contemporary practices

ABSTRACTTranshumant pastoralism guided by traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) helps people in adapting to extreme biophysical conditions and remoteness in the high-altitude region of the western Himalaya. However, the age-old practice is currently under threat due to changes in socioeconomic, policy and environmental conditions, which may lead to erosion of pastoralism-related TEK. This study was undertaken to document traditional knowledge concerning transhumant pastoralism of the Kinnaura community in three high-altitude villages, namely Chhitkul, Rakchham and Batseri in the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, India, using semi-structured interviews and participant observation methods. A total of 38 key informants were interviewed to elicit information about the contemporary practices and TEK related to transhumant pastoralism. The study found that the transhumant pastoralism is not only intricately linked to sociocultural life but also contribute significantly to the livelihood of Kinnaura community and hired herders. Findings revealed that the pastoralists are the repository of vast knowledge on various aspects of sheep- and goat-based transhumance, viz. herd composition and management, grazing and supplementary feeding and ethnoveterinary practices. It is concluded that the study would help policy decisions for the preservation and protection of transhumant pastoralism-related TEK of the indigenous Kinnaura pastoralists. Further, considering the nexus between TEK and ecosystem services, this study would also contribute in well-being of the human society and resilience of the similar social-ecological systems.KEYWORDS: Kinnauralivestockpasturesethnoveterinary practiceLivelihoodssocial-ecological systems AcknowledgmentsThe authors are grateful to the informants and villagers of the study area for sharing valuable information and support during the field study. We express our deep gratitude to Professor K. G. Saxena and Dr. R. L. Semwal for the suggestions and guidance during the study. Financial assistance from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India under the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) to the Task Force entitled “Traditional Knowledge System- Network Programme on Convergence of Traditional Knowledge Systems for Integration to Sustainable Development in the Indian Himalayan Region” vide grant number DST/SPLICE/CCP/NMSHE/TF-5/JNU/2014[G] is thankfully acknowledged. We are thankful to the reviewers and the editor for comments and suggestions for improvement of the manuscript.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Authors’ contributionSCG conceptualized the work, DKC conducted the fieldwork and both the authors analysed, interpreted and wrote the manuscript.Informed consentPrior informed consent was secured from the relevant local authority (District Magistrate, Kinnaur and Shimla) in accordance with National Biological Diversity Act (2002) and Rules (2004). Further, all informants gave verbal consent for the information they provided to be shared for academic purposes only.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India.